Haswell IGCSE ICT

CPU vs GPU

What is Software Copyright?

When someone creates an original piece of software, that person then holds something called the copyright for that software. (This is also true when people create books, films and songs.)

Holding the copyright for software means that you have the protection of the law if anyone tries to steal your software.

Under copyright law, people must not:

# Copy the software for other people
# Lend the software to other people
# Rent the software to other people
# Install the software on a network when other users can access it (unless it is a special ‘network’ version)

If someone breaks the copyright, they can be punished by fines or even by imprisonment.

The reason for this is that creating software can involve the work of many people and may take thousands of hours. It is only fair that all of this effort is protected

The Data Protection Act

The Data Protection Act controls how your personal information is used by organisations, businesses or the government.

The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA) is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which defines the law on the processing of data on identifiable living people and is the main piece of legislation that governs the data protection.

Everyone responsible for using data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles’. They must make sure the information is:

# used fairly and lawfully
# used for limited, specifically stated purposes
# used in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessive
# accurate
# kept for no longer than is absolutely necessary
# handled according to people’s data protection rights
# kept safe and secure
# not transferred outside the European Economic Area without adequate protection